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Coincidentally, I did this for tonight's dinner. I haven't ever actually achieved carmelized onions, but I have enjoyed them when others have done the work. This evening I cooked them slowly, probably for about 30 minutes, they were good but not sweet like the real carmelized version, foiled again. Maybe someday I will successfully serve the sugary carmel result.

I always use a mix of olive oil and butter to make these onions. And they take at least 30 minutes of mild, steady heat to get that soft brown look. I have used a teaspoon of sugar in the onion pan to give the little dears the idea that they should be slightly sweet. Interestingly enough, when I do Instant Steaks, with quite thin slices of filet mignon, I start the cooking with a chopped shallot about the size of a hen's egg and saute until it in butter until it starts to caramelize. Then I add the steak slices [they're no thicker than one third of an inch] and cook them for about a minute or so on a side. I flame the pan with brandy and remove the steak slices and keep warm while I pour half and half into the pan with the shallots and the rest of the scrapings. I keep heating until the sauce starts to bubble and add chunks of cold butter to thicken the sauce.
All of this takes a very brief time. I place the steak slices on our plates and pour over the brandy-shallot sauce which has thickened nicely. The whole thing takes maybe five to eight minutes. And there's dinner, fit for a king. With the addition of a salad, of course.

I use bacon fat to caramelize my onions. I cook them slowly for about 45 minutes and add quartered button mushrooms to make a duxelle. I then add a small amount of worcesteshire sauce and a quarter cup of cognac. I finish with fresh thyme, if I have it. It's very sweet and smoky and absolutely better than gravy on mashed potatoes.

Good article. I have always wondered about onion cooking time. From sauteing till translucent to caramelizing , it always takes longer than the recipe implies.
For cooking I always use the sharp tasting medium sized Spanish onions. With plenty of cooking time they turn sweet but remain flavorful.

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